Ironing table foot construction



Jan. 30, 1962 D. J. MuNsoN ErAL 3,018,574

IRONING TABLE FOOT CONSTRUCTION Filed April 28, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZI F' F 24 a 2z. BY EDWARD L, Alyssa# D /////////////////////////f wf/ffy@ rra wrs \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\&\\\\\\w United States atent 3,018,574 Patented Jan. 30, 1562 [ice 3,018,574 IRONING TABLE FOOT CONSTRUCTION Donald J. Munson, Minneapolis, and Edward L. Nubson,

Excelsior, Minn., assignors to The J. R. Clark Company, Spring Park, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Apr. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 731,459 1 Claim. (Cl. 38--121) This invention 'relates to ironing tables and more particularly concerns improvements in the base or foot members of the table leg structure which come into engagement with the floor or table supporting surface.

Ironing tables have heretofore been provided with ground wheels at one or Iboth ends to facilitate movement of the table in either erect or collapsed condition. While such wheels have served their intended purpose of making the table more easily portable, they have also detrimentally affected the stability of the table when used in its primary function as a table on which to perform the ironing operation. When the table is in use, stationary contact of the leg structure with the oor is highly desirable. This is particularly true when the table is used from a standing position, a position which may be preferred by the operator when relatively heavy downward pressures are necessary to perform the ironing operation.

c Another problem, in the use of conventional wheeled foot members on ironing tables, arises in storage of the table. As the collapsed table is pushed to its place o-f storage and leaned lagainst a wall, the wheels will tend to roll away from the wall unless a stop block is placed under the wheels or some other object propped against the table.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved foot for a collapsible adjustable ironing table which will allow the table to be easily rolled along the floor surface when the table is in a collapsed transporting condition or a relatively low erected condition and yet which will present a rm non-rolling contact with the floor when the table is in a relatively high erected condition or a collapsed condition leaning against a wall.

With this and other objects in view the invention broadly comprises the providing of a transverse foot member of an ironing table with a pair of transversely spaced Contact sleeves of rubber or the like adapted to make a non-slip contact with the table supporting surface and a pair of rollers spaced along the foot member intermediate the contact sleeves for rotation on a common transverse axis, the said axis being offset with respect to the longitudinal axis of the foot member whereby the rollers will contact a table supporting surface at certain axial positions of the foot member and the contact sleeves will engage the surface at other such positions.

The above mentioned and still additional objects of the invention will be brought to light during the course of the following specification, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- FIG. l is a side elevation of lan ironing table in relatively high erected condition for standing use with one foot member of the tab-le embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the table in relatively low erected condition for sitting use.

FIG. 3 is a transverse section through the rear foot of the table taken on line 3--3 of FIG. l.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged end view of the foot member with 'a portion of the near contact sleeve and foot partially broken away to show the journal mounting of the rear roller. The foot is here shown in the same position relative to the table supporting surface as in FIG. 1 with the contact members engaging the surface.

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4 but shows the foot member inthe same position relative to the supporting surface as in FIG. 2 with the rollers engaging the surface.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the table in collapsed condition and being transported by pushing or pulling across the floor surface.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the table in collapsed condition and in stored position leaning against a Wall.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings reference characters will `be used to denote like parts or structural features in the different views. The ironing table has an elongated top or board 10 and front and rear leg members designated respectively at 11 and 12 which extend diagonally downward under the table in fore and aft intercrossing relation. The legs are pivotally interconnected at 14 and have their upper ends pivoted to the underside of the board 10. Front leg 11 is connected to the table by a fixed hinge 15 while the rear leg 12 is connected by la hinge 16 which is slidably mounted on a guide means 17 for fore and aft movement of the leg structure between an erect condition and a collapsed condition against the board as in FIGS. 6 and 7. Suitable latch means (not shown), well known in the art, is provided for locking hinge 16 at various fore and aft positions along guide means 17 so that the table top may be adjusted to various Working elevations.

Front leg 11 carries a transverse foot member 18 at its lower or extended end which carries contact sleeves or caps 19 of anti-friction material at its ends for transversely spaced contact with the floor F. Rear leg 12 carries a cross foot 20 which is of tubular design and rigidly connected to the lower end of the -leg by means of a bracket 21 so that the leg 12 and foot 20 lie in a common transverse diagonal plane. The rear foot 20 is somewhat longer than the front foot 18 to increase lateral stability of the table, and the foot 20 is provided with contact caps or sleeves 22 which are similar in design to the members 19 on the front foot.

A pair of cylindrical rollers 24 are mounted on the foot 2i) intermediate and one adjacent each of the contact members 22. These rollers are mounted for rotation on a common transverse axis which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the foot 20 but which is offset downwardly therefrom so that the common plane of the foot center axis and roller axis is substantially perpendicular to the common diagonal plane of the foot 20 and leg 12. The roller diameter is substantially smaller than the external diameter of the collars 22. The rollers 'are here mounted in a wall of the foot mem'ber. This is accom plished by slitting the wall of the foot ena-bling pintle sockets 25 (FIG. 5) to be formed in the wall at either side of a wall portion 26. Wall portion 26 is provided with an opening 27 for receiving the roller 24. Pintle 28 journals the roller for rotation in the opening 27 and the ends of the pintle are seated in sockets 25. The pintle 2S is held against endwise displacement by the cap` 22. The two rollers 24 are mounted in identical manner.

The relative sizes and arrangement of the rollers 27 and anti-friction caps 22 are clearly shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. It will be noted that the roller is so mounted as to be out of engagement with the surface F when the leg is at a relatively broad angle with the oor (FIG. 4) such as when the leg structure is near full elevation or supporting the top for standing use. On the other hand, when the leg structure is in low erected condition with leg 12 at a smaller angle to the floor the rollers come into engagement with the surface supporting the caps 22 in spaced relation thereto.

Another way in which the positioning of rollers 24 may be brought out is as follows. The door contacting surfaces of the various elements 19 and 22 lie in a common plane which is parallel to the surface of top 10. When the table is at or near a fully erected condition (FIG. 1) the rollers 24 will lie entirely between these two planes. However, as the spacing between the planes diminishes, or as the feet 18 Iand 20 are moved in a relatively'spreading direction, during movement of the legs toward a collapsed condition, the foot 20 will turn about its axis moving the rollers through the common plane of the contact points.

Thus when the table is in standing position as in FIG. 1 the rollers 24 Aare inoperative with all four Contact members 19 and 22 in rm contact with the oor giving the necessary stability to the table when heavy ironing pressures are used. Similarly when the collpased table is placed in stored position against a wall, as in FIG. 7, with the leg 12 in near upright position the rollers are inoperative. On the other hand, when the leg structure is lowered to sitting position (FIG. 2) the rollers engage the oor allowing the operator to move the table longitudinally by slightly raising the front or nose end of the top. This particularly function not only facilitates mobility but also prohibits undesirable raising of the top to a higher adjusted elevation which may occur when the entire table top is lifted to move the table. The rollers can also be utilized to move the table while in collapsed condition by tilting the table to the position shown in FIG. 6, with the rear leg at substantially the same angle to thesurface F as in FIG. 2.

Accordingly, the rollers are so mounted as to engage the supporting surface only when movement over the surface is desirable and leaving the elements 22 in surface engagement when firm non-slip contact with the surface is desirable. The rollers are simply mounted on the foot and in fact can be easily removed by the housewife if desired or when replacement is necessary. The invention accordingly economically and effectively carries out the aforementioned objectives.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claim. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described our invention, what we claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

In an ironing table, an elongated top, a pair of legs connected to the top and extending downwardly therefrom and longitudinally thereunder in diagonally intercrossing relation to support the top over a oor surface, said legs being pivotally interconnected at their point of intercrossing and each having a cross foot at its lower end, the pivot axis and cross feet extending transversely with respect to the top for relative movement of the legs about said pivot between a rst position wherein the feet are spaced at a maximum distance below the top and relatively close together to support the top at a standing working elevation and a second position wherein the feet are raised relative to the top and spread apart to support the top at a sitting working elevation, one of said cross feet having Contact members spaced transversely of the top and having portions extending downwardly from the foot for engagement with the oor surface when the legs are in said rst position, a roller mounted on said one cross foot for rotation on an axis parallel to the pivot axis and having a peripheral rolling surface disposed be-i low said cross foot and longitudinally between said contact member portions and the other cross foot to move downwardly relative to the said one foot into engagement with the floor surface and support the contact members in spaced relation to the oor surface when the legs are moved to the second position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,096,239 Geyer Oct. 19, 1937 2,546,097 Hild Mar. 20, 1951 2,701,425 Rewald Feb. 8, 1955 

